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Everything Investors Need to Know About the War on Cash
Physical forms of currency -- cash and personal checks -- are losing favor among global consumers to alternative forms of payment, including debit and credit cards, digital wallets, mobile commerce platforms, and, in some circles, even cryptocurrencies.
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In a Kenyan Refugee Camp, Business Ideas but Little Access to Credit
Refugee camps like Kakuma are effectively large towns with their own mini-economies. Although remote, Kakuma has a population of more than 185,000 people. Refugees here come from many backgrounds, and money circulates as they take on casual odd jobs – from construction to washing clothes – or start small businesses.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Viewpoint: Can the Microcredit Model Be Improved?
Microcredit is frequently touted as an effective policy tool to fight global poverty. But studies suggest that the long-term impact on recipients’ lives is limited. Yale SOM’s Mushfiq Mobarak and the University of Chicago’s Vikas Dimble write that microcredit can help more people by modifying and extending its model.
- Categories
- Finance, Impact Assessment
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Equity Bank, Safaricom in a New Financial Inclusion Union
“At Safaricom, we are continuously driven to explore new ways to provide our customers with the best possible experience on our network. As we continue on our journey to become a more widely accessible digital platform, symbiotic partnerships like this one will unlock new opportunities for our entire ecosystem to benefit from enriched innovation – all based on a socially conscious business model,” said Bob Collymore, CEO, Safaricom.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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India Unseats China as Asia’s Top Fintech Funding Source
Like China, India’s enthusiasm for finance technology is in part a result of the country’s lack of financial infrastructure. Lending startups are gathering steam as they, like their Chinese counterparts, tailor services to the country’s large unbanked and underbanked consumers and enterprises.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital finance, fintech, startups
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Visa, PalmPay To Drive Financial Inclusion In Nigeria, Others
Visa, the global payments technology company and PalmPay, a new player in Africa’s Fintech industry, have announced a partnership to advance financial inclusion across Africa through access to digital payment services.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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How the Tiny African Nation of Djibouti Became the Linchpin in China’s Belt and Road Plan
Ideally situated with good harbours, this remote country is helping China protect its growing interests as the vast infrastructure strategy takes hold.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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WorldRemit Is Working With Paga to Roll out International Digital Money Transfers in Nigeria
WorldRemit is expanding its service offering beyond bank transfer and airtime top-up to include mobile money service. The partnership with Paga will allow WorldRemit customers in over 50 countries to send money directly from their phones to 11 million Paga mobile money accounts in Nigeria.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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